People started reacting as soon as OpenAI released Sora. Text could be changed into moving images so exceedingly realistic that even trained observers were hard-pressed to tell the difference. The promise of accessible cinema kindled worldwide attention – everything else is unfolding in front of us.
Sora is not just another AI model. It’s at the crossroad of creativity, computation, and credibility. The ability to type an idea and witness it coming alive on the screen has challenged pre-existing assumptions regarding artistry, truth, and ownership. What comes next will depend not only on OpenAI but also on how people and institutions engage with this power.
The Economics of AI Video
OpenAI has begun revealing its plans for Sora’s business model. The company’s leadership has confirmed that it will test a revenue-sharing framework with content rights holders who allow their characters or intellectual property to be used in generated videos. The Sora 2 app, released in select markets, currently offers free access with generous limits, but a paid structure is expected.
This approach aligns with OpenAI’s wider shift toward monetising generative tools while addressing copyright concerns. What remains uncertain is how individual users — those without major IP holdings — will participate. Subscription tiers, pay-per-use models, or enterprise licensing could follow, but none are confirmed.
The economics matter. The global Generative AI market was valued at $16.87 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $109.37 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. Sora occupies a smaller, fast-growing niche within that broader market — generative video. As competition increases, pricing models will determine who can access this new creative medium and who remains on the sidelines.
The Hidden Cost of Creativity
AI-generated video is computationally expensive. While OpenAI has not published figures on Sora’s energy usage, independent researchers estimate that producing short AI videos can consume hundreds of times more energy than generating a still image. One study found that creating a 5-second clip could use as much electricity as running a microwave for over an hour — compared to just seconds for a single high-resolution image.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global data centre electricity demand could nearly double by 2026, driven largely by AI workloads. That trajectory makes energy transparency an urgent issue for AI companies. Without clear reporting, users cannot assess the full environmental cost of their creativity.
This isn’t only an engineering challenge. It’s an ethical one. If AI-generated content becomes as common as social media posts, its power consumption will shape both the economy and the planet’s carbon budget. Developers and users alike will need to balance innovation with sustainability.
Authenticity in the Age of Synthetic Video
Sora’s realism also challenges global notions of authenticity. The model can create convincing human expressions, camera movements, and natural lighting. That realism can inspire, but it can also mislead.
OpenAI has confirmed that Sora 2 embeds visible moving watermarks and C2PA metadata in all generated videos. These are designed to make AI content traceable and verifiable. Once a video leaves the platform, it can be edited, compressed, and redistributed, usually losing the original identifiers in the process. Research shows that with deepfake detection tools being improved, none, however, can guarantee complete accuracy, especially against advanced generative models.
However, such regulations change. The European Union’s AI Act now necessitates the providers of synthetic media to label such media with proper transparency about AI-generated content. On the other hand, the proposed AI Labelling Act of 2023 intends to develop similar standards for disclosures within the United States. These frameworks are early steps toward building trust in digital media.
Still, policy alone cannot solve the issue. Trust depends on public awareness and responsible use. Each viewer and creator plays a role in verifying, labelling, and contextualising what they share.
A New Kind of Participation
For many, Sora represents creative freedom. Teachers can visualise lessons, filmmakers can prototype stories, and individuals can bring ideas to life without cameras or crews. The barriers to entry are lower than ever.
Yet access brings responsibility. OpenAI’s terms of use require users to respect privacy and avoid impersonation, but enforcement is a moving target. Ownership rights are still being tested in legal and ethical contexts. Users should understand that videos generated through AI tools might exist in shared data ecosystems, where complete exclusivity is rare.
This new landscape calls for digital literacy that matches technical progress. As with the rise of social media a decade ago, the challenge isn’t just learning how to use the technology — it’s understanding its consequences.
A Global Moment of Reckoning
From Los Angeles to Lagos and Shanghai to São Paulo, Sora is prompting debates about what counts as reality in the digital age. Production companies in Asia are using it to test advertising concepts. European regulators are draughting stricter transparency rules. North American studios are now reassessing AI in the context of creative labour after the 2023-24 writers’ strikes, where AI-generated material was the major subject.
These regional reactions share a common question: who benefits from the creative potential of AI, and who bears the risk? In truth, these answers will determine international media in the years ahead.
Sora is no longer just a technological achievement — it’s a cultural one. It forces societies to confront how easily human imagination can merge with machine precision. For creators, it opens new possibilities. For policymakers, it demands new rules. For everyone else, it redefines what it means to trust what we see.
The future of generative video will depend on transparency, accountability, and informed participation. Whether you create with it or consume it, Sora’s story is now part of yours.